Washington, D.C. – Today, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) unanimously voted in favor of advancing S. 3405, the Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorist Attacks Act of 2018, out of committee, teeing the bill up for consideration before the full Senate.

The bill, which reauthorizes the Department of Homeland Security’s Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program and is sponsored by HSGAC Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI), addresses industry and government concerns including relief for the commercial explosives industry from duplicative regulations imposed by the program.

IME President Deb Satkowiak, who, in her testimony at the June 12th HSGAC Roundtable on CFATS reauthorization, pushed for the exemption of materials regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) from the program stated,

“I was incredibly pleased with the Committee’s bi-partisan success reporting this pivotal bill out of committee. S. 3405 will serve to bolster national security while easing the burden of superfluous regulation on industry. IME thanks the Committee Members and their staffs for their hard work towards this shared goal and looks forward to its swift passage before the full Senate.”

IME looks forward to working with the Senate and House as the CFATS reauthorization process continues.

Founded in 1913, IME is the safety and security institute of the commercial explosives industry. More information on IME can be found at www.ime.org.